Friction shock absorber for railway car trucks



Patented Feb. 13, 1951 FRICTION SHOCK` ABSORBER FUR RAILWAY CAR TRUCKS George E. Dath, Mokena, Ill., assignor to W. H.

Miner, Inc., Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Dela- Wall'e Application April 14, 1949, Serial No. 87,383

3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in friction shock absorbers especially adapted for use as snubbing means for railway car truck springs.

One object of the invention is to provide a shock absorber adapted to be substituted for one of the spring units of a cluster of truck springs of a railway car, comprising a pair of relatively slidable friction elements having their movement toward each other opposed by spring means, wherein one of the friction elements is provided with opposed friction surfaces and the other element is in the form of a plate engaged between said friction surfaces, and wherein said elements are forciblytilted to frictionally engage the same with each other. v

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a mechanism as set forth in the preceding paragraph wherein the lrelatively slidable friction elements, which are forcibly tilted to bring the same into frictional engagement with each other, have their movement toward each other opposed by spring means which also acts to effect the relative tilting of said elements.

Other objects of the invention will more clearly appear from the description and claims hereinafter following.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a transverse,

vertical sectional view of my improved shock absorber. Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional View, corresponding substantially to the line 2-2 of Figure 1 with the spring omitted. Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of the top friction member illustrated in Figure 1. Figure 4 is a side elevaf tional View, looking from right to left in Figure 3.

My improved shock absorber, as illustrated in the drawing, comprises broadly a top friction member A, a bottom friction member B, and a spring resistance C.

The top friction member A is formed integral with a disclike follower I0 from which this friction member depends. The friction member A comprises laterally spaced side walls I I-l I connected by relatively heavy, transverse, spaced webs I2 and I3, located at opposite sides of the central vertical axis of the mechanism. The walls II-II and the web I2 are formed integral with the follower disc I0. The web I3 is spaced an appreciable'distance from the follower Ill, being located at the lower ends of the side walls II-II and theweb I2 extends downwardly from the follower Ill, having its lower end terminating above the upper end ofthe web I3. Each web I2 and I3 presents a vertically extending, flat friction surface on its inner side, the friction surface of the web I2 being indicated by |14 and that of the web I3 being indicated by I5.

The follower I has its top side rounded off to provide a substantially convex bearing surface I6 to facilitate rocking of the follower Il) on the top spring plate of the usual cluster of truck springs.

The follower il! presents a peripheral flange I'I,

which is downwardly thickened, or crowned, at the left hand side, as seen in Figure 1, said crowned portion being indicated by I8.

.The bottom friction member B carries a disclike follower plate i9 at its base, which plate is formed integral therewith, The follower plate |19 of the friction member B is opposed to the follower plate l and corresponds to the latter in size.

The friction member B is in the form of an upstanding, relatively thick plate engaged between the webs l2 and I3 of the friction member A and having lengthwise extending, flat friction surfaces Ell-2B on opposite sides thereof engaged respectively with the friction surfaces Ici and I5 of the webs I2 and I3.

The follower plate I presents a peripheral flange 2|, which is upwardly thickened, or crowned, at the left hand side of the mechanism, as seen in Figure l, said crowned portion being indicated by 22. The bottom side of the follower plate I9 is rounded off to provide a substantially convex bearing surface 23 to facilitate rocking of the follower on the bottom spring follower plate of the usual cluster of truck springs. Both follower plates I@ and I9 are provided with outwardly opening central seats EIL-24 adapted to accommodate the spring centering projections of the usual top and bottom spring plates of a cluster of truck springs.

The spring C is in the form of a helical coil surrounding the friction members A and B and bearing at its top and bottom ends, respectively, on the followers i5 and I9. As will be evident, due to the followers I@ and I9 being crowned at the left hand side of the mechanism, as seen in Figure l, the left hand side portion of the spring C is under greater compression than the right hand side portion, thus urging the friction members A and B to tilt with respect to each other, thereby effecting binding action between the same to bring the friction surfaces thereof into tight engagement.

My improved shock absorber replaces one or more of the spring units of a truck spring cluster of a railway car, being interposed between the usual top and bottom spring plates, which cooperate with the cluster.

The operation of my improved shock absorber is as follows: Upon the spring cluster of the truck of a railway car being compressed between the 5 follower plates of said cluster, the shock absorber,

Y which isdisposed 'between saidifol'lo'werf plates,;is7

compressed therewith, 'thereby-*forcing thea-frise"1 tion member A downwardly against the resistance of the spring C, sliding the friction surfaces Ilof truck springs. fo

Iclaim:

1.a, In la friction shockl absorber; ,thericombnar tion"` with" a frictionfplaiter,having'ylengthwisel: extending -frictiorr surfaces on oppositelfsi'des" thereof; ofafrictionfunit having a pair ofrlength- 2:

wise extending-'- opposed,` interiori:"frictionzsur' faces;one-ofV saidv surfaces V'being"staggeredwith? respectfto'fthe other *lengthwise of lthe unit-,zsaid opposecL-i interiorifriction:surfaces engaging the" plate at; opposite sides and'havin'gv slidingl'contactl` 301 withthe friction surfaces of theflattergssaidiplate" and unit being supportedfor relativetilting move-'z ment', said plate andunithaving lspring abutments` thereon; y and f spring means; interposed-:L

moi/ement off-sa'id; pleite ;and'.unit Atoward.veachf other; saidspringl means. being; undergreater-i" compression at one side of the mechanism than:` at the other, be'tween-saidabutmentsfdr `.urging 2. ln africti'on shock absorber; the Vcombination 1" with an'end follower having a crown onftheinnerzside'theieof at A*oneside tof the m'echani'sm;,,oraaly second'end follower 'having a'fcrownY onthe inner' side thereof located annie same side-.orme mech-. 451 231.0,150

face on which it is supported for tilting movement, said followers being relatively movable toward and away from each other lengthwise of the mechanism; a friction plate on said first named follower extending toward the second named follower, said plate having friction surfaceson-.opposite sides: thereof gt a friction unit on saidsecondrnamed follower,;projecting toward `said rst named follower, said unit having a pair `ofxiaterally spaced, interior, lengthwise extending frictionsurfaces embracing said plate and engagingathevfri'ction'surfaces of the same; and a spring surrounding said plate and friction unit and bearingiatsopposit'e cendslY on said 'followers and the 3. In a frictio'nflrshock absorber, the combina- .tionswitha top.follower having a rounded top surface, said follower having a depending crown on-thelower side thereof at one side of the mechanism; of a friction unit depending from said follower-,f Vsaidaunit havingrfa pair` 'of-1f; laterally spaced;lopposeclpinterior, lengthwise-extending -frictionsurf-acesthereonaabottomfolloweiahaiefv ing a rounded bottom surface, said bottoml-fole:` lowenShaving:` a '.raisedf ecrownfzonf:ithefupperfgside thereof;V located-at :the same '-sidea of thefmechaav nism'fas. the vcrown7 ofesaida topV follower;-` a friction platez-vnpstandingromfsaidw bottom-follower; anch engaged: between tha-friction.surfacesof said frictiony unitz-inffsliding rfrictional .eng-agementfwith v said P'surfaoesgf and-fa :coil spring surroundinga,saidY unitandfplate and bearing-:aieits--topfianclxbottormends onesaid #tope and bottomz--followers-andfthe.; crowns thereof.

REFERENCE SFCITEDQ 

